How do you keep fish alive?

Question

i need info on fish

Answer 1

Change their water every week and feed them regularly. To keep their brain exercising, tap their bowl three times before you feed them, then put the food in. Eventually, the fish will know that when you tap the bowl/tank, it's feeding time, so they will rise to the surface, so this becomes a cool little trick! Also, don't feed them too much with 2 feeding times a day. Make sure that you have at least 2 fish (similar size) so it wont get lonely. Finally, don't disturb your fish too much, because when people are constantly touching the glass and shaking the tank/bowl, the fish get very stressed and they die sooner. Put a few plants and gravel in, but make sure that at least 75 percent of the water is free and open space because it can get very cramped in there and the fish want to swim! I did all this and my normal goldfish lasted 6 months!

Answer 2

i have a tank made for 3 fish and i have 5 alive in it, well when u go to the pet store make sue you have the dimensions so they can tell u the max fish number, it dpends on the type of fish but make sure u know which food to get, then get stabilizer i forgot what it's called but it gets rid of the clorine to keep the fish alive, when you do get your fish make sure you ask any questiens you need cause certain kinds of fish will eat others and like shrimp or frogs need certain care just browse web site and books and junk u may find out something really cool
good luck

Answer 3

replace the water a week. opportunities are high you haven't any longer have been given an adequate filtration equipment if in any respect. basically get a tumbler of faucet water and enable it sit down in one day to launch the chlorine from it or take care of it with chlorine removers you may get from puppy shops. you do no longer could replace out each and every of the water approximately 10-20% is all you pick a week. make beneficial the temperature continues to be rather a similar, great adjustments in temperature are undesirable for fish. Goldfish like less warm water than tropical or saltwater fish so which you will not prefer a heater basically set the bowl able the place the temperature won't replace lots (no longer close to a window).

Answer 4

Water is a good start. Putting in a tank WITH the fish is even better.

Seriously, it's a matter of learning as much as you can before you even buy a fish. Do some research on different kinds of fish to see what kinds you like. Then narrow in on these and see what kinds of water conditions they need to thrive - temperature, salt, hardness, pH, etc. What are their temperments and adult sizes? Are they fast and need a lot of space, or something that moves slowly? Are they "loners" or something more comforatble in a school of its own kind? What do they eat - flakes and pellets, or will you have to buy bloodworms, brine shrimp, insects, or feeder fish? You want to maybe limit yourself to just one kind, or a few things with similar requirements & behaviors.

Next, look at what you can realistically provide budgetwise, roomwise, and timewise. Big tanks are easier to take care of than small ones and will give you more room to keep the fish if you like "lots" or "big". You will need a filter and maybe a heater (depending on the fish you choose) - get ones rated for the tank size. People think they are saving money if they buy the cheapest, buy remember, "You get what you pay for!". If it's not big enough to do the job it's supposed to, or something wears out too fast and you have to replace it, it's not a savings. And get a aquarium test kit (liquid reagents are preferred to test strips) that will test pH, hardness, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Test pH and hardness so you know what kind of water you have. It's easier to match the fish with the water you have at home rather than to constantly try to change your water chemistry.

Find the best match between what you'd like and what you can provide. Start with the equipment and set everything up and cycle your tank first. Most people like to set the tank up and fill it with fish on the same day - this is a recipe for disaster! Fish eat and poop and create ammonia, which is toxic in moderate amounts. Bacteria in your tank will convert the ammonia to nitrite, then nitrate which is safe unless the concentration is very high. Without the bacteria, your water gets cloudy, and the ammonia kills the fish (this is what may have happened to you in the past). This is the cycling process- getting the bacteria that you need to keep the ammonia and nitrites converted to nitrate. You"ll need to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate during the process. Don't add fish until the ammonia and nitrite are both 0 and you start to see nitrates.

Start with the smallest, slowest, and most peaceful fish of the ones you want to keep. This way, they can find where the hiding places are before larger, faster, and more boisterous fish start chasing them. Then get the fish A FEW AT A TIME - 1-3 each week. Don't overcrowd. You'll hear the "rule of thumb" one onch of fish for every gallon of water - this only works for small fish like neons and guppies. Some need double to 10 times this. And plan by adult size, not the size you buy. A goldfish in a store may only be 2", but will be closer to 2 feet as an adult! Some fish should never be put in a tank because it's almost a guarantee it will die.

When you get a new fish, acclimate it to your tank slowly. Let the bag it's in float on the top of your water about 15 minutes so the temperature will be the same. Open the bag and pour 1/4 of the water into a bucket. Replace the water poured out with water from your tank. Let it sit for a few minutes. Pour out another 1/4 of the water, replace, and wait 3 more times. This way, the fish get used to any changes in water chemisrty from the store to your house gradually. Finally, net the fish out or pour gently into your tank.

It's also important not to overfeed - don't give the fish more than they will eat in 2-3 minutes. If there's uneaten food after that, you're giving too much. You can feed 1-2 times a day.

You'll need to dedicate one hour a week for maintenence - this means cleaning and water change. Scrape the algae off the glass, get a gravel vaccuum and use it to suction the "gunk" on and in the gravel and about 25% of the total volume of water in the tank and replace it with tap water about the same temperature. And add something to remove the chlorine/chloramine before you add the water to the tank.

Does this seem like a lot? Maybe if you're not used to these things, but soon they'll become second nature to you. And it will allow you to have success with keeping your fish alive!

Here are some websites with more info on the topics I've covered:
http://www.fishlore.com/Beginners.htm
http://www.firsttankguide.net/
http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cat=1977
http://www.fishlore.com/
http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/

Sites with fish info:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=830
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/000tropfishcareguides.htm
http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/freshindex.html

Good Luck!

Answer 5

It depends on the breed of fish, but in general you need a relatively spacious tank, a filter (very important unless you just have a goldfish or a beta fish), and you should feed it once or twice daily. The best thing to do would probably just ask the guy at the pet store what you should do, and follow his instructions.

Answer 6

It does depend on the type of fish, but in general, you need to know how to cycle water prior to putting any fish in it; what the nitrogen cycle is; how to do proper water changes; how to properly clean the tank, gravel, decorations and filter; how to test your water to be sure that it is healthy; the proper kind of filtration for your fishes' needs; what temperature of water your fish need; what type of food your particular fish likes to eat, needs to eat and how often to feed your fish; how to choose plants that work for your lighting and fish; how much light for your type of fishes' needs; which fish are compatible; how much water space each type of fish needs; how to identify and treat diseases. The more informed you are before you get your fish, the better chance that you will be able to keep your fish happy and healthy, which will make you happy! Good luck!

Answer 7

Change water weekly so oxygen doesn't run out and they start to climb to the surface for oxygen.
Feed the 2 or 3 times a day.
I RECOMEND using plants.

Answer 8

go to a local fish store and ask for a lesson. You need to learn what kind of food they eat, how to clean the tank, etc.

Answer 9

The like water.... and food..... aside from that, I try to keep my cat away from the fish tank.... cats seem to like to eat fish dead or alive!

Answer 10

feed them about 4 or 5 times a week